Letters to the Editor

A representative group of Marina residents and boaters has attended meetings concerning a new sewer to be built either on the Marina Peninsula in the City of Los Angeles or on Via Marina in Marina del Rey. The last opportunity to be heard will be Wednesday, December 3rd, before the Los Angeles City Council Public Works Committee in Room 1060 at City Hall.

The committee chairman, Councilman Bill Rosendahl, will then make his recommendation to the full City Council.

The City of Los Angeles Sanitation Department marks this project urgent because the existing sewer on the beach is 54 years old and it does not favor a second sewer on the beach.

It feels very strange to us that Playa del Rey residents in the City of Los Angeles, down whose streets the sewer will pass once it crosses under the Main Channel, were told about this project with a presentation, a meeting and notices to homeowners in 2003, whereas those of us who own condominiums along Via Marina in the county jurisdiction of Marina del Rey within ten to 12 feet of the tunneling and shaft boring sites never received any notice until an Argonaut article appeared in July of this year.

We asked for a recirculation of the environmental impact report. Instead, we were given this additional hearing on December 3rd and an opportunity to hear another presentation from the chief engineer before the December 3rd meeting. He will come to the Marina.

The county and the Marina Lessees Association want Via Marina clear for their massive development projects, but those among us who have read the EIR (environmental impact report) are concerned about the impact of vibration on the sea walls of the harbors, of ground settlement to the stability of our buildings and of a rupture to the waters of the Marina.

In my opinion, condominium owners ought to avail themselves of the opportunity to find out first-hand about the project and to question and voice their objections. The condominium owners might also think about showing up at City Hall.

Lynne Shapiro, Marina del Rey

[See related story on Page 9. — Editor]

Column on Ballona Creek ‘brought tears to my eyes’

To the Editor:

“Through my eyes,” by Bettina Gantsweg, brought tears to my eyes. Why? Because I am a “regular” who loves my walks along Ballona Creek and the path I take from my home to the end of the jetty and back.

I have also attended many of the meetings over the last 14 years — the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, Regional Planning, Design Control Board, California Coastal Commission, and some others — as many caring residents and members of the public have desperately been putting their fingers in the dike to keep the beautiful waters of Marina del Rey from being rendered useless for the purposes it was intended, boating and recreation, and, instead, seeing the Marina being flooded with concrete and construction out to and over the water.

The Board of Supervisors and the developers do not seem to be stoppable, and it is so sad. It should bring tears to everyone’s eyes, and action on the part of all media and all the citizens of Los Angeles County and beyond to demand a master plan regarding the needed revitalization of Marina del Rey in a responsible way that retains it for what it was originally intended to be.

Roslyn E. Walker, Marina del Rey

Says Prop. 8 not an equal rights issue

To the Editor:

[Re: Argonaut cover story November 13th, “Proposition 8 opponents take to the streets; legal battles on the horizon.”]

Sorry guys, but this is not an equal rights issue. All most people ask is not to call it “marriage.” Is 5,000 years of an institution to remain the same asking too much?

Furthermore, we are the majority in a democratic system — not haters, not bigots and certainly not the ones who are using threats, intimidation and domestic terrorism to vent our frustration.

And yes, to many of us it is a moral issue and we also have a right to that one. In fact, that’s one we don’t apologize for.

Thank you to those [who voted “yes” on Proposition 8] in the Mormon church and the black community and the majority of people who vote their conscience. I urge everyone to stand firm in their principles.

Ken Rizzo, Los Angeles

City of Santa Monica’s updated ‘Volunteer Services Directory’ available on-line

The City of Santa Monica’s Volunteer Program, working within the city’s Community and Cultural Services Department, has released the updated 2008-2010 edition of the Volunteer Services Directory Guide for Santa Monica and the Westside.

The directory is considered a resource to the community as it provides a listing of many of the local nonprofit and human service agencies which exist for the betterment of all types of populations and also greatly benefit from the services of volunteers, a city spokesperson said.

Youths seeking community service hours for school, adults seeking involvement in their community and those seeking to make new connections can search for the information in the volunteer directory.

The directory includes contact information for each agency listed for potential volunteers. The new edition also answers two questions frequently asked of the City’s Volunteer Program office: